Traffic control signal



May 11, 1937. c. B. WATSON TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNAL 2 Sheets-sheaf 1.

Filed April '3, 1936 I N VEN TOR.

C. B. WATSON.

May 11, 19 1.

c. B. WATSON TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNAL 'F iled April 3, 1936 FR-Fsz FRI-F61 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

GB. WATSON.

IATTORNEYS.

Patented May 11, 1937 TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNAL Charles B. Watson, Omaha, Nebr., assignor of gftiy-one per cent to Fay G. Johnson, Omaha,

Application April 3, 1936, Serial No. 72,542

3 Claims. (Cl. 177-327) Heretofore, to my knowledge, attempts to prochological effect of concentrating the attention duce traflic signals with neon and other luminous upon the cycle of operation; to provide a signal tubes have been unsuccessful by reason of the with the above characteristics having a weatherfact that the present art affords tubes not to proof head enclosing the illuminable elements; exceed 15 millimeters in effective diameter and and to provide a signal with low operating costs. their position in the structure has been such that, The foregoing and other aims and objects will when exposed to sunlight, illumination produced be apparent from the detailed description hereis negligible. Another difliculty encountered by inafter appearing when taken in connection with the present art is the fading of color in such tubes the accompanying drawings wherein:

in cold weather at which time the green-color is Figure 1 is an elevational view of my traffic 10 particularly susceptible and will turn white durcontrol signal. ing cold weather. It has also been found diilicult Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation of the signal to operate gaseous discharge tubes due to cerhead of my invention with the corner glass pantain difliculties in handling the high voltages necels removed to provide an unimpaired view of essary for the tubes, particularly in the flasher. the tubes and their vertical, superposed sections. 15

. It is therefore the object of my invention to Figure 3 is a plan view of the "signal head.

provide a traffic control signal wherein the lumi- Figure 4 is a horizontal section through the nous gaseous discharge elements are of relatively signal head taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2. large diameter and great light intensity. Figure 5 is a plan view of a metal plate on the Another object of my invention is to provide floor of the base of the signal head having notches such a signal wherein the luminous elements are for accepting the ends of the glass panels and suitably shaded from extraneous light to increase p nin s for r i i u supp their visiblity and color. Figure 6 is an enlarged detailed partial section Another object is to provide for suitable selfshowing the sea between the v t d es of heating of the tubes to keep same warm in cold the glass panels and the vertical edges of the side weather to increase their efliciency in such shields. weather and to maintain their color. Figure '7 is a wiring diagram of a signal head A further object of my invention is to provide having'four illu na e elements, each p a positive. continuous, visual informative traflic ing 8- p u a y o l n lly extending, p

3 control signal to minimize intersection hazards, rally coiled, tube sections in superposed relation. and having a threefold, instantaneous and simul- Figure 8 is a diagram at c View of 611111 P taneous, visual indication showing the existing ated contact switches of the flasher or distributor. direction of traffic, the time that has elapsed since Referring more particularly to the drawings, the commencement of a particular signal, and which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the the time that must elapse before a change of invention, reference numeral 20 indicates a 35 traflic direction will occur. standard upon which is supported a signal head, A further object is to provide a signal having said head comprising a base 2| substantially a minimum number of illuminable signal elesquare in cross-section for a signal head with ments or tubes, each element being adapted to four faces or sides for controlling trafiic from 41) be seen from opposing sides for signally controlfour directions. A shade cap 22, to shade the ling trafiic from those sides. illuminable elements or signal tubes from the A further object is to provide'illuminable sigtop, is suppor in Spaced relation abve the nal elements having a high luminosity with low base 2| by vertical tube shields 23, each side or current consumption. face of the head being provided with a shield A further object is to provide signal means for extending ce a y upw between base 2| and 4;, aiding in clearing an intersection at the time n e e ds 23 are Secured at the bottom of signal change. to base 2| by screws 24 and at the top to the A still further object is to provide means for shade cap 22 by bolts 25 in the upper ends there adequately controlling the electric current supof, said upper ends be-ng inturned over the cap plied to the signal elements or indicators. and terminate in pointed portions that angularly 50 Other objects are to provide an illuminant havmeet centrally of the cap. ing a high atmospheric penetration character- The control of traflic is effected by illuminable istic in order that signals may be. seen from relasignal elements or indicators RI, GI, R2 and G2, tively great distances; to provide a signal having preferably arranged vertically in the head. Each a. uniformly moving time indication for thQPSYw illuminable signal indicator gives off, when ilJuminated, a single, positive color, as red in the tubes numbered RI and R2, and green in the tubes indicated by reference numerals GI and G2. Each illuminable indicator is composed of a plu- 5 rality of spirally coiled tube sections arranged in superposed relation to give the general appear-' ance of a single, continuous spirally coiled illuminable tube. The tubes are spirally coiled ta increase the effective width of the signal and to provide lights of extreme brilliancy with a maximum concentration of lumens from an illuminated signal of a given width and length.

In neon tubes the diameter of a tube largely determines its brilliancy when illuminated. A small diameter tube is much more brilliant than a large diameter tube when the electric current provided is substantially the same. With a small diameter tube, low current apparatus may be used but with a large diameter tube it is neces- 0 sary to use-high current apparatus to get illumination therefrom that even approximates'a small diameter tube in brilliancy. With the use of high current apparatus costs and operative difliculties increase. By the use of coiled, small di- 5 ameter tubes a brilliantly illuminated signal tube may be provided in the signal with the use of low current apparatus and the coiling of the tube greatly increases the eifective illuminable width of the signal indicator, thus securing the efiect of a very large diameter tube with the use of low current apparatus. Signal tubes of substantially any desirable coiled diameter may be used in the signal head.

Each illuminable indicator is in sections and said sections are supported in vertical alignment on rods 26 received centrally in said sections which are coiled. The lower ends of the rods 26 are received in holes 21a in a plate 21 on the floor of the base 2|. Each indicator extends vertically 0 in the head and substantially parallel with its respective shield 23, the shield being in front of its respective indicator, relative to the respective side or face of the head, to shade said indicator from view from the direction of said face or side as well as to shade it from extraneous light such as sunlight. Neon tubes, as before stated, will suffer as to brilliancy in sunlight but-by'shading the tubes their brilliancy is substantially unimpaired or undiminished when placed on the street.

The respective tube sections of each illuminable indicator are provided with end electrodes, which electrodes in an assembled indicator are numbered respectively 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, and each tube section is provided with an intermediate electrode I. The electrodes are received between outwardly extending, vertically parallel flanges 28a of a vertical contact board 28, said board being in the form of an X in horizontal cross-section and having said flanges extending outwardly from the ends of said X shaped board, both the board and the flanges being of suitable insulating material and formed integrally with each other.

Spring contacts 29 are provided between the flanges 28a in suitable spaced relation for contact with the respective electrodes of the illuminable indicators. The flanges of the board are adapted to conceal the respective electrodes; and said flanges and board also conceal the respective indicators from view from the side opposite their respective vertical shields 23. Each indicator is therefore shielded from view from the front and rear, relative to its respective side; and relative to such side each indicator is visible from two directions, viz., laterally of said face, the visible sides of said elements being at substantially right angles to the concealed sides.

The illuminable elements or signal indicators are arranged in the head with a red indication and a green indication, RI and G2 on opposite sides of the electrode contact board for signalably controlling trafiic flowing in opposite directions as east and west or north and south. The elements R2 and GI are arranged in their respective sides of the head for controlling trafflc flowing at substantial right angles to that controlled by the indicators RI and G2. The indicators are operated in sets or pairs, one red and one green, RI and GI respectively, being operated together in unison with each other, each of said tubes being visible at substantially right angles to each other. Therefore traflic flowing in east and west directions may be signalled to proceed by the element GI and the north and south traflic simultaneously signalled to stop by the element RI. The illuminable elements RI and GI operate simultaneously together and the indicators R2 and G2 operate simultaneously together, but the respective sets of tubes are operated alternately.

As above stated the signal indicators are arranged in the head with RI and G2 on opposite sides of the head and as to each other said ele ments are illuminated alternately thereby signalably controlling trafiic flowing in opposite directions, viz, north and south to alternately signal said traflic'to stop and to proceed. The indicators R2 and GI operate similarly to alternately signal east and west traific to stop and proceed and the alternations of lighting of the indicators are such that when north and south 'traflic is signalled to stop, the east and west traffic is signalled to proceed, and vice versa. More specifically, traflic flowing north and south is signaled to stop by the indicator RI and the east and west traflic is signalled to proceed by the indicator GI as said indicators-are operated together and the reverse is true when the indicators R2 and G2 are illuminated alternately with the indicators RI and GI.

As an aid to clearing the intersection the head is provided with two signals, each comprising a neon tube forming the word Stop, said signals being mounted on the head on adjacent sides facing approaching traflic. Said stop signals are illuminated at such time that approaching trafiic will see its respective stop sign illuminated during the period of illumination of the last section of the green proceed indicator and said stop sign will remain illuminated with its respective stop indicator during the entire cycle of said stop indicator. The sign will be extinguished during the major portion of the cycle of the respective proceed indicator.

By illuminating the stop signal while the last section of the respective proceed indicator is illuminated, traffic is signalled to stop before the change of direction of traffic flow is signalled, thereby giving traflic and pedestrians an oppor- .tunity to get oif the intersection before such change of direction of traflic flow is made.

The wiring arrangement of the signal is shown in detail in Figure '7. The source of electricity to energize the indicators is a commercial circuit 30 and 3| carrying a. commercial load of volts. Wire 3! leads into a flasher F having two series of contacts FRI-FGI and FR2FG2 respectively, said wire 3| being connected to the inner bank of contacts, from 1 to 11 inclusive, in each series.

A description of the operation of series control for the respective indicator set circuits.

The circuits controlled by contacts 13 and 14 are for the signs forming the word Stop and will be described below.

Wires of one side of the secondaries of the transformers are connected to the respective electrodes of the tubes of the RI indicator numbered 1 to 12 inclusive, said secondary wires being also numbered 1 to 12 inclusive to correspond with the numbers of the electrodes. The wires of the other side of the respective secondaries are connected to the respective electrodes of the tubes of the GI indicator numbered 1 to 12 inclusive, said secondary wires on this side also being similarly numbered. The intermediate electrodes I of corresponding tube sections of the respective indicators are connected by wires 32 so that corresponding portions of each indicator are supplied with current by the same transformer.

The flasher F controls the primary circuits of the transformers and beginning the cycle of operation for the set of indicators RI-GI, cams 33 operate, through rollers 34, to move the entire inner bank of contacts 1 to 12 inclusive into contact with the corresponding contacts of the outer bank, thereby supplying the primaries of all the transformers for the RI-Gl set of indicators with current. The .transformers step up the voltage to supply the tubes with suitable current to illuminate same and when the flasher closes the circuits to all the transformers for a set of indicators the indicators of such set are illuminated their entire length.

An electricmotor, not shown, operates the flasher and causes rotation of the shaft 35 and cams 33 secured thereon. As the cams rotate the contact is broken between contacts I thereby cutting out the lower transformer or transformer I, which has its secondary connected to the top portion of the upper tube section, and extinguishing the upper portion of said upper tube section in both the RI and GI indicators.

The second transformer still supplies current to the lower half of the sections of the respective indicator tubes, the secondary of said trans former being connected to electrodes 2 thereof and the circuit is completed between the intermediate electrodes of the upper tube sections through wire 32 thereof. 1

Further rotation of the cams cuts out the second transformer so that another portion of the indicators is extinguished and such operation of the flasher continues until all'the sections of the indicators of the set are extinguished. The operation of the respective tube sections of the set is the same for each section as for the top section above described.

After the entire cycle is completed for a set of indicators, and said set is entirely extinguished, the other set, or, in this case, R2-G2 is fully illuminated and then progressively extinguished in decrements from the top downwardly until the entire length of the indicators of the set is extinguished, whereupon the first set of indicators is again illuminated and goes through its cycle.

It should be noted that by having the flasher control the circuits of the transformer primaries said flasher need only handle 120 volts, which voltage is comparatively low and easy to handle. Thus it is unnecessary for the flasher to handle the relatively high voltages of the secondaries whichhigh voltages would be very difiicult to control without causing arcing in said flasher.

The circuits for the tubes forming the word Stop are controlled by contacts I3 and I4 of the flasher F. The stop signal for the RI indicator and the G2 indicator is illuminated, by operation of the respective cam closing the circuit of the contacts I3 and supplying current to the primary of transformer 36 on the RIGI side of the flasher, during the entire cycle of illumination of the indicator RI. It should be kept in mind that indicators RI and G2 are seen from the same directions, and that indicator GI is seen from a direction at substantial right angles to the direction from which indicator R! is seen. The stop signal that is illuminated while the RI indicator is going through its cycle is seen from the same direction as indicator RI relative to approaching traflic on the side of the street adjacent the signal.

This stop signal is extinguished during the major portion of the cycle of illumination of the G2 indicator, said stop signal being illuminated only during the period of individual illumination of the last section of the said indicator. The circuit to said stop signal is completed by the closing of contacts I4 on the R2-G2 of the flasher, to the primary of said transformer, during the time specified above.

The operation of the stop signal for the R2 and GI indicators is similar to the operation of the stop signal above described.

The signal head is sealed against the weather by providing glass panels 31 in the interstices between the shields 23. The panel ends are received in notches 38 cut in the corners of the plate 2'! and the abutting vertical edges 39 of said panels are sealed by transparent glue or adhesive. The free vertical edges of the panels are provided with channels 40 of rubber received over said edges, a portion of said rubber channels being in intimate contact with the adjacent edges 4! of the vertical shields to form a seal therebetween. The glass panels provide a clear view of the tubes from the unshielded sides and also aid in deflecting away from the tubes extraneous light that may strike same. The panels are set in the head in relation to the respective indicators so that any slight reflection that may occur from the glow of the indicators will not interfere with any other indicator, the angles of said panels being such as to avoid interference and confusion of one illuminated indicator and any other illuminated indicator in the head.

The vertical coiling of the tubes provides ready circulation of air upwardly about thecoils. As the lower portion of the tubes is the last to be extinguished during its respective cycle of operation the air at the bottom thereof is heated and rises thereby warming the upper coils. This is a definite advantage especially during cold weather as a warm tube is much more eflicient than a cold one and the circulation of warm air about the coils tends to keep the tubes warm throughout their entire length. It will be apparent that to secure the warming of the tubes in this manner said tubes must be in a vertical position. A

As the head is sealed against the weather the warm air will also circuiateabout the tubes tive condition.

The coiled tubes possess a certain amount of flexibility, the longer the tube the greater its flexibility, and for this reason they will not break easily. Should a tube section go out of order for any reason, it may be removed'by removal of the vertical shield 23 in front of the tube. The shield is removed by unscrewing the screw 24 'and bolt 25. The rod 26 of the indicator is lifted out of its hole 27a in plate 21 and the indicator removed. The section of the indicator that is out of order is replaced and the indicator returned to its position in the head, after which the shield is replaced.

It is to be understood that the indicators may be provided in any desired lengths, having as many sections as may be required for such lengths, and the efiective diameter of the indicators may be of any suitable size.

Although I have herein shown and described my preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. In a traffic control signal, the combination, a head, a plurality of electrically illuminable signal indicators for signaling stop and proceed, shielding means for shielding said indicators from sight from directions at substantial right angles to the direction of traflic flow controlled by said indicators, the stop indicator signaling traflic flowing at substantial right angles to that signaled by the proceed indicator, each indicator comprising a plurality of spirally coiled gaseous discharge tube sections arranged in superposed relation, each indicator section being provided with an electrode adjacent each end and an intermediate electrode, the respective intermediate electrodes of the respective indicators being electrically connected together, a transformer for each portion of each tube section, said transformers supplying current to the respective tube portions from their secondary coils, one side of the secondary for a tube portion being connected to an end electrode of a tube section of an indicator and the other side being connected to the corresponding end electrode of the other indicator, and means'for supplying electric current to the transformer primaries in such a manner that the indicators will be first fully illuminated and then progressively darkened a portion of a section at a time from one end until the entire length 'of the indicators will be extinguished, said indicators being operated simultaneously.

2. In a traflic control signal, the combination, a head having four sides, a vertical electrode contact board mounted centrally in the head, a vertical shield for each side of the base secured centrally thereof, shading means secured to the upper ends of the shields, a vertical electrically illuminable indicator between each shield and the electrode contact board in substantially parallel alignment therewith, opposite indicators being of different colors when illuminated to respectively signal stop and proceed, each indicator comprising a plurality of spirally coiled gaseous discharge tube sections arranged in superposed relation to provide the appearance of a continuous indicator, each indicator section being provided with an electrode adjacent each end and an intermediate electrode, said electrodes being in operative association with the electrode contact board, the intermediate electrodes of diagonally disposed stop and proceed indicators being electrically connected together, a transformer for each portion of each tube section for supplying current thereto from the secondary coils thereof through the electrode contact board, each tube section having two transformers, one side of one transformer secondary being connected to the upper electrode of one stop indicator and the other side thereof being connected to the upper electrode of the proceed indicator having its intermediate electrode connected with the intermediate electrode of, said stop indicator so that said indicators will operate as a set, the other transformer is similarly connected to' the lower electrodes of the tube section, and means for supplying electric current to the primaries of the transformers in such manner as to first illuminate one set of indicators throughout their entire length and then to progressively extinguish same from one end a portion of a tube section at a time until the set is entirely extinguished and then to alternately illuminate the other set of indicators and progressively extinguish same from one end a portion of a tube section at a time until said set is entirely extinguished.

3. In a traific control signal, the combination, a set of electrically illuminable gaseous discharge indicators, each indicator comprising a plurality of spirally coiled gaseous discharge tube sections arranged in superposed relations, each indicator section being provided with an electrode adjacent each end and an intermediate electrode, the respective intermediate electrodes of the respective indicators being electrically connected together, a transformer for each portion of each tube section, said transformers supplying current to the respective tube portions from their secondary coils, one side of the secondary for each tube portion being connected to an end electrode of a tube section of an indicator and the other side CHARLES B. WATSON. 

